Worried by the nefarious activities of smugglers, Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) yesterday raised concern on the increasing threat of smugglers in Jigawa state despite the closure of borders.
Besides, the service lamented how communities along Babura axis, a town in Jigawa State have been providing safe heaven to illegal business operators that make it difficult for men of the service to track down the notorious smugglers.
This was just as the Kano/Jigawa Area Command intercepted various contraband goods with total Duty Paid Value of about N79, 573,37.
Addressing a press conference at the command’s headquarters in Kano, the Area Comptroller, Nasiru Ahmed at the Commands headquarters, alleged that the communities in Jigawa state have become notorious in allowing their towns to be used by smugglers.
He urged community leaders in the area to resist the challenge while soliciting cooperate with the Customs to checkmate the activities of those who are into the illegal business and now taken the areas as safe routes.
The comptroller stressed that despite the closure of the borders, smugglers are still going all out to cripples the economy of the country also poses great health dangers to consumers of products as must of them have expired or contaminated with chemicals harmful to human consumption.
According to him, the command has intercepted four trailers loaded with 1,842 bags of smuggled bags of fertilizers with Duty Paid Value of N13,815,00.
Nasir also revealed that about 1,608 Bags of foreign rice (50KG) each with Duty Paid Value of N35,996,688 were also confiscated within the period under review additionally to foreign 113 bags of foreign sugar (50KG) with N2, 461,705 DPV.
“Other items seized include 567 Jerrycans of foreign vegetable oil (25) litters concealed in a 2 by 20 containers, 53 bales of second-hand clothes, 278 compressed blocks of Indian Hemp as well as 20 units of vehicles used as means of conveyance, totalling N79,573,372, with 15 suspects in custody in connection to the various smuggling.”
He charged the youths not to allow themselves to be deceived into the illegal business which would lead them into prison if arrested but should rather consider areas such as agriculture, a lucrative sector where they can make their legitimate money.
Nasiru stressed that suspects arrested are under investigation and would be charged to court while vehicle confiscated would also be taken to a competent court of jurisdiction for final forfeiture.
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